


A Butterfly Flaps its Wings... and I am a god of old

by TheSistersBread



Series: A Butterfly Flaps its Wings [8]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Aromantic, Asexual Character, Rebirth, Reincarnation, Sleeping Beauty Elements, The Old Gods (ASoIaF), Weirwood(s), how does Luna get herself in these situations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28238070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSistersBread/pseuds/TheSistersBread
Summary: Parallel story to '... and I am Misplaced'. You should probably read the Pre-Hogwarts one for some context.Our hero finds herself in a completely new land. Also known as Westeros. I wonder what could happen?
Series: A Butterfly Flaps its Wings [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068551
Kudos: 12





	1. Arrival

**Magic**

When I woke up, all I could feel was the cold. 

Having always been a bit of a summer baby, I was not well suited to Scottish winters and it was only because I transfigured some of my summer clothes into thermals that I didn't freeze. I seriously envied all the people who pranced around in little more than a shirt, a jumper and trousers. I hated those winters with a passion!

Speaking of which, I wasn't even sure where I was. It was dark, cold and my feet especially where ice cold. Looking down, I could see that I was still dressed in my pyjamas which explained why my feet were bare. As was common in winter, it was dark and I couldn't see anyone about which meant it was either late or I was in an isolated area.

I knew it was generally a bad idea to perform magic when you didn't know anything about your surroundings but it was that or freeze. At least with the first I stood a fighting chance. But could I even do it? Did I have enough magic? I tried first with a simple 'Lumos' grinning when my finger lit up. In my excitement, I almost forgot that I was meant to have a wand. I had slowly been exercising my wandless magic 'muscle'. My theory was that it was akin to one - magicals had been using it since childhood so when they suddenly went to Hogwarts where there was so much magical energy, it practically burned not to perform any and wands were sort of like a coping mechanism.

Wands were great for refining spells but you didn't need them. It was like... writing with a blunt pencil instead of a sharpened one. Wandless magic was more unrefined but if you didn't have a sharpener or in this case a wand, it still worked. If you couldn't write with blunt pencils because you'd forgotten how, well - you'd be in trouble without your wand.

I didn't have mine so I needed to craft an equivalent. My magic had been increasingly balanced after I'd decided to use wandless for tasks that required power and wands for ones that needed perfect control. If I ever needed something in the middle or even more precise, I used words. They were rather helpful when I was trying to concentrate my magic.

Contrary to popular belief, words didn't matter too much in terms of pronunciation or even language. It was about what you associated them with. Pictures could even be used in their place - it was all subjective. However, some spells were very specific - Snape’s Sectumsempra (ooh, alliteration) guided the caster into performing it. When wand movements and purposeful movements were put together, it was incredibly difficult for the caster to perform a different spell. It was hard to explain but some incantations and movements were just more restrictive than others.

With that in mind, I instantly set about transfiguring my pyjamas into more appropriate clothing. Now that I knew I could do magic, might as well protect myself. The climate was not going to defeat this witch!

After I had sufficiently warmed up, I cast my mind to more practical matters. 

I still didn't know where I was and there didn't seem to be much magic around. Now, I knew Hogwarts was an exception in terms of magical saturation but there was always ambient magic. Here, I only caught little wisps. My presence seemed to be helping though - perhaps distant cousins of Wrackspurts were feeding off my magic? If it helped, I didn't mind. Well - not too much.

I needed to investigate, figure out where I was and find some other people before I got too lonely. I didn’t want a breakdown so I needed to actually do something instead of letting my emotions fester. 

What I could actually do was a whole other matter.

My first priority was probably to find some sort of focusing tool for my magic and people.

People were a pain and I was a solitary creature most of the time but human beings were social by nature so I needed to find some sort of population.

I wasn’t sure which one was going to be easier.

* * *

**Rest**

After quite a bit of exploring, I still hadn’t found any trees or people. I seemed to be in the middle of a large forest. The space I had landed or arrived in was a clearing and the trees surrounding it were nothing short of magnificent. They were so tall that even when I deployed my favourite spell (a more versatile version of Wingardium Leviosa which I simply named ‘Tollo’ - much shorter and it was one of the few Latin words I knew), it took quite a while before I finally got up there.

When I did, I had no choice but to marvel at the beautiful view. I was more than 50m away from the ground but with my magic to anchor me and steady tree branches, I felt secure enough to enjoy it.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough ambient magic to ensure I stayed in the tree so I had to get down at some point. The little there was was mostly being used to ensure my clothes remained transfigured - I thought that was more important and my magic stores were not limitless.

Sulkily, I descended from the tree, relying on my magic to keep me steady. This was the type of situation where wandless magic was appropriate - a good thing because I still didn’t have an amplifier - as it was more a task of magical energy than a specialised one.

I thought a twig of some sort would be good as wood was a rather good conduit of magic. Metals were generally too good conduits - magic could be likened to electricity - so insulators generally worked best and wood was a very common one. I could have used a bit from the tree I’d just perched on but it wasn’t that effective. I took a piece anyway but I wasn’t sure how refined it would be.

Besides there would always be other trees to visit. Perhaps if I had not been so tired, I would have explored more but for now, I really needed a nap.

* * *

**Dream**

If I hadn’t been so used to random acts of magic by now, I think I might have freaked out more.

I was having an interesting dream about something - already couldn’t remember what - but I suddenly found myself in some sort of throne room. I briefly entertained the notion of being in Percy Jackson but found it rather unlikely as there were only nine seats.

The words of the figures swirled in my head until I couldn’t remember who’d said what. I did remember getting a little annoyed when they told me they brought me here, how many times was I going to end up somewhere else? I probably (definitely) yelled at the gods and then somehow got appointed as a representative of them (not looking forward to it) and then being told to tell Torrhen Stark not to kneel. I’d already suspected it but now I knew exactly where I was. When was a little debatable.

I didn’t really care for when.

I had no ties to this place, nothing to miss so why should I care?

That last sentence almost felt foreboding. I wondered why.

* * *

**Crash**

I didn’t sign up for this.

I might seem like an easy-going person on the outside but I hated being late, losing my keys/glasses/wand, getting separated from companions etc.

I was not okay.

With the not so cryptic message of tell Torrhen Stark not to kneel, I found myself waking up in a tree! A tree with a face carved on it and several weak branches. I’m sure you can guess what happened next. Probably the gods revenge for yelling at them but they kind of deserved it. Who am I kidding? They did deserve it! I was actually getting settled before they decided to uproot me! Like, what the hell?

Anyway, it was probably one of the most uncomfortable ways to wake up I had ever experienced. Falling out of a tree is not recommended. Falling onto a person is even more strongly not recommended. Falling onto a king is terrifying. Falling onto Torrhen Stark is even worse so naturally that’s what happened.

I managed to grab onto one of the branches in midair but it decided to crack. As I was only a metre or so from the ground, my magic didn’t see the need to kick in. I still don’t understand how I didn’t see the man under the tree.

It was only after I heard a pained grunt that I realised I must have landed on someone. Cheeks burning, I hastily scrambled off. After apologising profusely, realising the guy couldn’t understand, casting a translation spell with the broken branch before I’d realise it and apologising again, I took the chance to scream “What the hell!” at the sky.

Then I turned my mind to other matters.

It was cold and I was in my pyjamas again but the ground was covered in snow! I nearly squealed in excitement. Snow was fun!

I think I may have started trying to build a snowman if it wasn’t for the distinctly unimpressed visage of the man before me.

”And just who are you?” he asked darkly.

I was absolutely done with being intimidated for the day.

”Who are you?” I asked as innocently as possible. I was quite good at it.

The man looked almost confused by my obvious bewilderment before his face tightened.

”Liar!” he growled “I don’t like liars!”

Determined to be as civil for as long as possible, I decided a semblance of subservience was best.

”Forgive me, but I don’t know who you are.”

The man stared at me for a few seconds before hopefully realising I was telling the truth. I wasn’t in the mood for a fight.

”King Torrhen Stark”

Great. But totally called it.

”I bring a message from the gods.”

Now I couldn’t possibly blame him for his reaction. If a stranger crashed through a tree, wearing strange garments and landed on you, would you believe them? Maybe, maybe not.

The King laughed. I couldn’t even say I was surprised so I stood there until he was done.

Then calmly continued as if there had been no interruption. 

“You are not to bend the knee.”

Message delivered, I prepared to Apparate away.

“Halt!” the King called, slightly unsure, “The dragons”.

It didn’t sound like a question but I knew it was.

“They will not pass this tree”, I promised. Dragons had rather fascinated me, mostly because I was paranoid someone was going to put my name in the cup. I knew quite a few repulsion wards. Even if the dragons were not the exact same, the ward was keyed to giant fire lizards so I thought it was pretty safe and it wasn’t like I wasn’t going to be there. 

* * *

**Pass**

If I was Torrhen I wouldn’t believe me.

I didn’t think he did. That would be a bit naive and it seemed out of character for him. Still, he seemed to be giving me the benefit of the doubt because his army was several places behind the line that I’d marked.

As there wasn’t enough ambient magic, I’d had to use my blood as a conduit. I wasn’t squeamish but I was worried about blood loss so I’d been very careful with it.

I’d ended up marking a perimeter of sorts around the North including beyond the Wall. The white walkers hadn’t raised yet and I could always break my dome. As the army of the North actually needed somewhere to go, I’d also included the edges of the Kingsroad back.

I just hoped it worked else I’d be witnessing a massacre.

As the dragons flew into view, it was the moment of truth. 

The truth was, I simply didn’t know whether my blood and the traces of ambient magic would be enough. Weirwoods gave out quite a bit so I needed to investigate them a bit more - something I had no idea how to do. Wasn’t that just brilliant?

At first, I thought the dragons were going to fly right through. They seemed to speed up, ready to lunge but found they couldn’t pass. They roared loudly.

Wait, were my wards dragonfyre-proof? I hastily threw up some shields just a fireball came smashing this way.

I now had to reconfigure all my wards.

Thankfully, I could Apparate meaning my otherwise torturous trek was shortened. I could’ve had so many close shaves, at arrow for my face, a dagger for my gut but I remembered to put up the Disillusion Charm.

When I got back to the battlefield, it wasn’t great. The numbers did not favour the North. As much as I hate conflict, I couldn’t find it in me to simply sit there while the North was thrashed but I didn’t want to kill people.

Instead, I settled for sleeping jinx to make the Targaryen men a bit wearier. It didn’t seem to work but that was the moment the dragons decided was nap time and promptly crushed the men under them. It must have been a painful way to go but I found myself unable to linger on it.

That seemed to turn the tide and rather than Torrhen bending the knee, it was some of the remaining Lordlings who chose to do so. The Targaryens had long since abandoned the science of crime preferring their prides to suffer rather than die. I respected that decision.

Unfortunately, because of my innate kindness, I then had to go around warding said Lordlings places while leaving a passage to the North.

It was late when and I was on the brink of exhaustion when I finally faced Torrhen Stark again. He was grateful even if he didn’t go over the top and told me I would go down in their history. I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel about that. Then came the part I actually had an idea how to deal with.

In that tent with Torrhen ‘The not kneeler’ Stark, I planted the seeds of egalitarianism which, in my mind was certainly a good thing. 

* * *

**Back**

I’d just radically altered the course of Westerosi history, exhausted myself doing probably illegal and inconvenient blood magic and it wasn’t enough. I had hoped I could go back after this.

But where was back?

Was it my original world or my life as Luna Lovegood? 

I had just been coming to terms with that life, the dangerous (because it was) life of Harry Potter but now I’d been dragged here by the Planetos gods to serve at their beck-and-call.

It wasn’t a one time thing.

I now had to travel to this radically altered future that had had just been created. The gods said I could actually be someone there but I was still first and foremost their mouthpiece.

Yay.

How absolutely fantastic.

I didn’t really want to go but I didn’t seem to have any choice in the matter. Did I ever?

There was a theory that mortals were simply gods play things and I was wondering whether or not it was true. Did they fancy themselves chess-masters? Did they care for us or were they simply pretending? It was unlikely I was going to get any answers, so I chose to take a deep breath and prepare myself for wherever I was going next.

I didn't actually know where I was going but might as well relax. I'd already had my cry-fest and really, there wasn't much I could do now.

Besides, I could admit that I was incredibly curious about how my presence had altered the course of history.


	2. Awakening

**Unrest**

As it turned out, the old gods weren't the most... methodical, shall we say.

I'd had a string of spontaneous adventures, mostly up at the Wall but sometimes in Northern Councils. There was an interesting time in Essos where I'd been guaranteed a 'we won't kill you' by the guild of Faceless Men and honestly, I don't think they could. The gods had heavily implied that they needed me for the foreseeable future but I wasn't keen to try out my potential immortality. They had been strong enough to drag me here, but how did I know they could resurrect me? Besides, dying was likely to hurt.

I had other things to do.

Like wake up.

The gods seemed to have taken some inspiration from 'Sleeping Beauty' because every time I fell asleep (was pulled into a meeting with them), I woke up in the exact same place just at a different time.

Cregan, the force of nature that he was, had cajoled me into accepting one of the underground rooms of Winterfell. In the end, I had conceded and been given my own personal bed. It was incredibly comfortable.

I didn't like it though.

Generally, I stayed in a time period for anywhere from an hour to a week but it was so brief that I never really got the chance to settle in before moving on. It was rather annoying. After countless days passing in this matter, I was told that I would actually get as long as necessary to stay in the next time.

I was determined to drag it on for as long as possible.

Maybe even make some friends. I still wanted to go back to being Luna but if I was going to be tossed around the time line like a rag-doll, I might as well enjoy it. It was better than endlessly suffering because I couldn't let myself have some fun.

I might even be able to fully accept my new reality. 

Maybe that was going a bit too far.

* * *

**Grave**

When I awoke for my (hopefully long) new mission, the first thing I had noticed was my change of location. I was laying on something hard and cold and unless I was still in the clothes I'd been in last time, I was going to get a pretty terrible cold. I wasn't looking forward to it. I hated colds. In my first incarnation, I'd gotten enough to cover my second and this one too.

I opened my eyes only to be met with blackness. Now this wasn't unusual per se for winter in Winterfell but even in the dead of night, it didn't look like this. No, it almost felt like there way a roof close to me - like I was in a small crevice. I raised one hand probingly, I didn't enjoy hitting my head and nearly gasped when only half an arm away from my head, I felt polished, smooth, cool stone. 

I knew I was in a stone box of some sort.

It wasn't a huge leap of knowledge to assume that I was where I'd guessed when I first stirred. I was in a coffin. An expensive coffin by the feel of it. Polished stone took work.

I managed not to scream.

Now, I just had to get out. I could Apparate but I might accidentally twist my ankle and I didn't want to freak any kids out. Besides, I didn't know if things were in the same place or not and I didn't want to end up on top of somebody. Instead, I chose to wait a bit and listen.

It was a good thing I did.

I gradually heard two voices getting closer and closer before they stopped a while away. Their words would have been indiscernible, if I hadn't had the pleasure of knowing the Weasley twins. Those two had inadvertently or even blatantly equipped me with all sorts of useful spells. I hadn't had such comprehensive knowledge of spells or lack thereof so my instinct was to try to cast. I could theoretically not use any spells but I'd end up missing something so instead I shut up and listened.

"...crypts, King Stark..."

"...King Baratheon..."

"...my sister, Lyanna..."

"...polished tomb..."

Inwardly, I panicked as thundering footsteps approached my tomb. As touched as I was that I'd been 'buried' in the exclusive Stark tombs, I had other things to think about. Perhaps if I planned my escape wisely, I could manage to get away?

As the lid of my tomb seemed to shift, I quietly Apparated away. It took quite a bit of effort to do so - the loudness of Apparation depended on how you were doing it. Wandless Apparation was rather loud because you were forcing more energy than strictly necessary to do it so it had to go somewhere.

Apparation using a very well suited wand generally gave off a small pop. As I had no well-fitting wand, I had to perform Wandless Apparation. I couldn't muffle the crack so instead, I had to simultaneously cast a Silencing spell.

It wasn't quite simultaneous but it covered my tracks well.

I Disillusioned myself and peeked at my tomb. King Robert Baratheon was examining my tomb - only to turn away. Relief flickered across King Eddard Stark's features.

I was both annoyed and relieved.

Relieved because I had no doubt it would have started a conflict if he had done it and annoyance because after all that effort, my work had been for naught. I could have just stayed there. I hadn't actually needed to expend my magic, which was limited, but I'd done it anyway.

Oh well, better safe than sorry.

Now I was thinking about it, why hadn't I just Disillusioned myself in the first place? But if he had found the tomb empty, Baratheon might have tried to grasp any hidden contents. I had never been groped and I wasn't planning to be. King or not, no one had that right, absolutely no one.

Baratheon had a reputation and I didn't think the shoe didn't fit.

If I could help it, I was going nowhere near the man.

* * *

**Title**

As it turned out, I had to go near him. I had to go closer than near him.

And I was only a plain girl - I couldn't imagine how bad it must be for the prettier ones.

Honestly, did no one find a sixteen - I looked sixteen, anyway, - year old girl going near a leery man more than three times her age a bit wrong? I know sixteen is/was the age of consent but I wasn't even an adult by modern standards.

But this wasn't modern standards.

Any girl who had flowered could be married to a man who was anywhere from a baby to fifty years old. I hoped it was only the Southron standards. Marriage was equivalent to slave rape for them. A woman was her husband's pleasure slave basically and I hated it.

What I hated even more was that I couldn't speak my mind and yell at them because I was a only a child. But still old enough to get leered at. And because it would start a war and as annoyed as I was, I didn't want war.

But let me backtrack a bit to how I found myself in this situation.

Being the responsible person that I am, I went to find King Stark to let him know that a. I was awake and b. because of a., he didn’t have to worry about anyone coming across sleeping beauty.

When I finally found a gap, I approached him. 

I wasn’t sure how well Eddard could control his emotions so I quickly threw up a few ‘Notice-Me-Not’ charms.

”Your grace” I addressed.

The Stark spun around to greet me.

”Yes?”

I wasn’t sure if he had recognised me or not but I wasn’t about to shoot myself in the foot.

”I am sorry for not waking sooner. Where am I to go?”

”Wait for me by my solar.” he dismissed.

Now I’m fully prepared to admit that subtlety isn’t one of my strongest suits but I thought the conversation had gone well. I looked like a regretful servant who had slept in and he seemed the disgruntled employer. Even if it hadn’t gone as well as I hoped, I had thrown up several ‘Notice-Me-Nots’ so our tracks were covered.

Either way, who would expect the truth? There wasn’t much to be gleaned from our conversation, was there? That was a rhetorical question.

I had no idea where the solar was, so I stopped to ask a person scurrying by. It wasn’t like I could use a ‘Point-Me’. Firstly, I’d have to manage Wandlessly and secondly, that would have been rather difficult to conceal. 

The man agreed to show me the way there, if I helped him carry the wine to the hall, where King Robert feasted. So, I found myself in a bit of a predicament. I couldn’t very well refuse to offer him wine but his expression was quite frankly disturbing. As an asexual and an aromantic, I was not interested.

The problem was telling him that. I did not trust the man.

In the end, I sucked it up, quickly filled a goblet, put in on his table and legged it. I wasn’t sure if he’d tried to reach for me but I was long gone. Happily long gone.

The servant I’d met earlier introduced himself as Alwin Karstark, Heir of House Karstark, and winked. I dearly hoped he knew who I was because otherwise, I was worried for the future of House Karstark...

”Nice to meet you in person, Shaman.”

... I ... I’d forgotten about that.

Last time I’d been awake, some children had been intent on giving me a name.

Seeing no reason to deny them, we set to work. They were determined it would be the ‘bestest’ name ever. I had a soft spot for children.

Finally, they had decided they’d rather give me a title and somehow, that’s where we ended up.

I suppose it could have been a lot worse. I didn’t even dislike it, I simply wasn’t used to it yet. If everyone was calling me that now, I supposed I might as well go with it. Why shouldn’t I?

If I was going to stay in this time, it was good to have some sort of term I could be addressed by. It was better than being prodded by an enthusiastic child. I might like children but that didn’t mean I thought they were perfect and often, they got a little too carried away.

I lost my rose tinted glasses four years into my first incarnation but they weren’t fully destroyed until four years after that.

* * *

**Details**

My first meeting (at least properly) with Eddard Stark went... well.

The man was concerned about the imminent problem (I always woke up then) but I gleefully told him the old gods had given me a bit of a break though if they deemed it necessary, I had to go back to work. 

Eddard coerced me into calling him Eddard rather than King or Stark - I don’t know what it is with Starks convincing me to do things. I should stop being so nice. But I couldn’t exactly turn it off - it wasn’t a switch so there wasn’t much I could do.

My hunch had been right - the arrival of another King had thrown up the question of what to do with me. They couldn’t just leave me in the room I had come to call mine - what if someone got up to some exploring so Eddard had decided the safest place for me would be the crypts. It was a good idea but it was a shame I hadn’t woken up a little while ago. Would have saved them all that time and effort. I really needed to go thank the coffin maker, it had actually been comfortable in their, likely because there’d been some air holes.

By the end, I was calling the Magnar ‘Eddard’, I’d been given a bedroom and we’d formulated a cover story.

I was a bastard named Shae Nan Snow and my ‘child’ (I had yet to procure one) often meant I wasn’t at the castle all the time. It was them who’d mangled my name to Shaman which had simply become my new one.

It sounded like a pretty decent cover story to me, except for one thing. One big, glaring plot hole. The fact I didn’t actually have a child. None of the visitors were going to ask about said child anyway.

Speaking about children, Eddard was expecting his firstborn soon. His wife, none other than Catelyn Stark (still wasn’t sure how that came about) was due anytime soon. Often, I spotted Catelyn smiling at Jon Snow and she went out of her way to make sure he was alright.

It seemed this Catelyn understood that bastards didn’t choose to be born. Still, in the presence of Southron ladies, I was unanimously chosen to look after him. As the oldest, they argued, I had the most experience with children. They weren’t wrong and Jon liked spending time with me so I didn’t mind too much. Or at least, as much as a baby liked anything.

I wasn’t sure if Catelyn knew who Jon’s parents were. The Eddard of this timeline had told me the tale of Rhaegar and Lyanna.

In the end, Lyanna had been kidnapped but from what I understood, she had Stockholm Syndrome. It had been Lyanna seducing Rhaegar and for that Eddard and I weee glad. It might not have been the best but at the end of the day, it had been her choice, thankfully.

Further pressing the next day revealed that Catelyn did not know of Jon’s origins. While it warmed my heart that she still cared for him, I didn’t understand why Eddard had not told Catelyn the truth.

His explanation: childbirth.

He wasn’t a dumb man and he didn’t want to do anything that could put Catelyn and the baby at risk. Fair enough., I conceded but she was going to get angrier, the longer he kept it from her.

Catelyn herself was a sharp woman.

Her fate here had been decidedly more tragic, she had been exiled because there had been some decidedly nasty rumours about Baelish defiling her. It showed just how important daughters were to Hoster Tully when he promptly exiled her without even checking the credibility.

Finally, she had made her way North and become a scholar. She had then met Eddard and well... they’d fallen in love.

Catelyn was not going to crack because her husband told her the truth about his ‘bastard’ boy but there was no persuading that man when he made his mind up.

And so, I settled for waiting.

As much as I wanted to spill, it really wasn’t my story to tell and I’d told Eddard that if he didn’t tell her within two days of the child’s birth, I’d tell her the truth. That had been our agreement. I’d wait but he’d better tell her!

* * *

**Childless**

I should have known it was going too well.

It all started with a rather innocent question (as innocent as they could get, at least) from one of the ladies. They had taken to taking short walks together outside and I was often out there - usually with Jon.

It was all my fault really.

They had been trying to make small talk (which I absolutely hate) because they knew I would speak to Catelyn to return Jon and were somehow hoping I’d help.... bitter her up? again them favour? I wasn’t exactly sure.

One of them had made a comment about how my child was and how I ought bring her to play with Jon. Was it a he or a she? How old? Did they look like me?

It all went down the drain when, just as Catelyn came to rescue me, they told me to bring the child when possible. It had been an extremely narrow escape and really, I could only see one way out. I had always wanted to adopt a child and since I was staying a while, it should be fine. 

Now, I needed to find one.


	3. Adoption

**Fate**

As fate had it, it was to be.

Just not yet.

Currently I had to contend with not one, not two but three children and I thought that was a fairly good excuse for not searching. Sansa and Robbert (not named for the King as there seemed to be a constant on-off war between the North and South) Stark were finally in this realm and if Eddard didn't tell Catelyn about Jon before sunset tomorrow, I had full permission (I extracted a promise from the man after all!) to spill the beans and shout at him a bit (he hadn't explicitly agreed to the last part) but that wasn't going to stop me.

So I can be forgiven for not being as diligent as possible. 

But the truth was, I still wanted a child and everyone knew it. I was probably never going to see these Southron ladies again. It was rather obvious that I wanted to adopt.

In my first incarnation, I had adopted and I really wanted to do so again. 

Now, I could have simply gotten pregnant but my problem was that I was not only Aromantic and Asexual (and therefore not interested in such things) but also extremely reluctant to carry around a baby for a nine months. I would be absolutely heartbroken if anything happened and there were already so many children in the world without parents. Personally, I had never felt the need to have them so I was content to simply adopt.

In Westeros though, I wasn't sure how to go about the process. I could technically just kidnap a babe but it didn't sit right with me so I wasn't going to.

I pushed aside my thoughts as I rose to answer Eddard's calling. I had been pleased to notice that, yes, my time-flickering had made some difference. Alwin wasn't the only heir I'd met and most of the people I'd met seemed to have a good understanding of hard work and morals. Of course, I couldn't generalise but on the whole, I found that I rather enjoyed the whole atmosphere.

The young seemed to think that pulling wool over the Southrons’ eyes was a great game and the elders knew it was good to have the advantage so between them, no Southron could really detect the key differences. It was sad that I couldn't really do much to help the people down South but I'd had to satisfy myself with 'prophetic visions' for those who were badly treated or were more suited for the North. Magic was really a wonder.

Unfortunately, magic wasn't going to solve this situation.

Eddard was finally sucking it up and admitting the truth to Catelyn who was sure to be very angry when she found out. The most likely reason for my summon was that I'd helped generations of Starks before him so he somehow hoped I could help him out. Tough luck mate. I was not getting involved in this argument. I'd be downright mad if I was in Catelyn's place but I also understood why Eddard had kept if from her until now.

I was not going to get in the middle of it.

It went much how I expected it to.

Catelyn, sharp as she was, had already suspected this although she assumed Jon to be a bit more distantly related. Upon hearing his mother was Lyanna, she made the connection instantly. She was anything but a slouch. As also expected, she mage the connection almost instantaneously.

"Rhaegar?" she gasped, half questioning, half sure.

Eddard simply nodded.

I stood there awkwardly, keeping my face in its neutral position. Like I'd said, I wasn't getting involved and I certainly wasn't going to pick sides when it came to blows.

Catelyn very quickly moved on to the next order of business, her little shock fading.

"And just why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

Eddard was a very straightforward man. "I didn't want anything to happen to you or the child."

Understandably, she was still mad.

"As if coming home with child didn't give me a shock!"

As he recuperated, Catelyn turned to me. Her eyes were blazing and if her temper had a colour, it would be as vivid as her hair. It was clear I wasn't going to be able to stay as out of this as I had hoped.

"Did you know about this?" she hissed.

I raised my hands in surrender, "I didn't know until two days ago and only because he assumed that I knew."

Catelyn looked as though she were about to say something else but instead chose to storm off. Eddard looked at her path and as he moved to sit down, I decided to do something.

"Go after her" I urged, "Go." Catelyn seemed to need someone more than no one so I wasn't going to let her go off alone.

When he had well and truly gone on his way, I walked towards the children's room. Someone had to keep an eye on the little devils. Not even a child and the little Targaryen was already causing problems! Not that it was his fault. It wasn't really anyone's fault except for Aerys' mad rage and Rhaegar's obsession and I could go on and on. But did it really matter whose fault it was?

Speaking about Targaryens, how many were there left?

I deeply regretted the fact I had not been able to save Elia and her children but at least Jon was still alive and presumably Daenerys and Viserys. 

I should probably check up on the two, I hadn't done so since I arrived at this time and it seemed like a good idea. Viserys had gone mad in the original timeline - perhaps I would be able to prevent it. I dearly hoped so. I didn't want him and Daenerys to suffer simply for being born. That wasn't in the least bit fair.

I knew life wasn't fair. Gods, the amount of people who said that to me was truly astonishing. They seemed to think it was their duty to squash my attempts and dreams. While I understood it was their way of 'looking out for me', it hadn't helped in the slightest. I didn't need a harsh reality check, I needed some time to dream. They didn't seem to understand that. It was rather sad actually.

Before I could get too lost in my thoughts, I Apparated away to Essos.

Now I didn’t know where exactly in the continent they were which may have been a problem if I hadn’t acquired some wood to cast a point me spell. The only problem was, it didn’t indicate distance so I had to make medium sized Apparation jumps.

Twentish stops later, I’d finally found them and I decided I was done for the day. I had a rough idea of where they’d be and it would give me time to think up a reason for approaching them.

I couldn’t very well say ‘Hi, I’m Shaman, messenger of the gods and I wanted to check up on you’ could I?

So, I decided to retreat for the day. Our illustrious guests would be leaving Winterfell soon and I was penciled in for tidying up duty. Everyone had to help out. We all probably would have helped out anyway but the guests seemed accustomed to more servants or at least servants with fewer responsibilities.

Either way, I was rather relieved that they were leaving. I didn’t understand what Robbert had been doing here anyway. Further wool-gathering revealed that he appeared to have had a crush on Lyanna and so came to visit her remains under the guise of discussing trade with the North.

As far as excuses go, it was made a terrible one by the fact that everyone and I mean everyone had heard him saying her name in a rather intimate manner. He didn’t even have he decency to be discrete.

I could see Cersei fitting in if she’d grown up here but alas it was not to be and she’d become a bitter young woman, Queen or not. Unfortunately, I hadn’t traveled far enough to save her and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. It was an extremely depressing thought.

* * *

**Meeting**

The next day, it was time to face the two Targaryen children. Right after breaking my Fast, I Apparated to where I’d been last time.

They hadn’t seemed to move as they’d probably been asleep.

It was eight in the morning when I approached them. The two had spent a night (or several) in the alleyway and they looked like street rats. When I say approached, I mean I sat near them and while I was walking past them, I dropped some coins into their laps.

I don’t know why I thought I’d get away with it. 

Viserys launched himself at me.

”I’m not a beggar!” he hissed, tugging my hair.

”I never said you were.” I replied casually, trying not to wince in pain. Man, this kid pulled hard.

He didn’t seem sure how to respond to that.

”Then... why?” he pulled even harder now but I could deal with confused child.

”You look filthy and I don’t see any parents or people who look after you -“

Here he tugged even harder.

”There are.”

”Are there?”

My honest question seemed to throw him for a loop. He’d been expecting hostility, anger that kind of thing not this.

He tilted his head and I could almost see the cogs turning in his head.

”Are parents good?”

”Not always.”

”You’re good to me.”

Here he straightened up. “You have the honour of being the parent of King Viserys Targaryen and Queen Daenerys Targaryen.”

Well. Looks like I was going to be adopted as a parent before I could adopt a child.

This was moving unusually fast but that was generally an indicator of the gods’ meddling. I didn’t really have a choice in the matter (and let’s be real, it would have happened anyway).

”Well, with an offer like that, who could possibly refuse?”

Now I had to figure out how to explain this. At least I had a ‘blame it on the gods’ argument.

* * *

 **Throne**

As it turned out, I didn’t. Need that excuse I mean.

The first thing I did was rent a room in one of the posher hotels (better security and I had the money). Then, I got the Viserys to take a bath. Daenerys was barely one and I wasn’t leaving her in the tub unsupervised.

I didn’t have any new clothes with me so I cleaned their old ones up and mended the rips. It was better than nothing.

Viserys seemed to appreciate it anyway.

He didn’t appreciate it when I told him he’d have to change his name. We had a long fight about it before he finally agreed that Alysanne and Aegon weren’t terrible names. (Jon was going to stay Jon regardless of surname so I didn’t see a problem).

Perhaps he was remarkably smart for a seven year old. Perhaps not. But I had an extremely honest conversation with him about the fact that I was practically ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and how he’d better not betray the North or I’d use my ‘wicked powers’ on him.

Compared to my last task, all of that was a piece of cake. 

Now, I had to actually get him and Daen-Alysanne there. While I would have to be careful with my Apparation, the physical journey wasn’t the matter.

What I was incredibly concerned about was my upcoming talk with Eddard and Catelyn. How was I to explain this?

I Apparated the three of us to my room. It was a calculated risk, I was fairly sure Baratheon was gone so there’d be no one to accidentally chance upon the children. At least no one who wasn’t loyal to the Starks.

Steeling myself for a wearisome conversation, I asked the two to come with me. To put Vis-Aegon at ease, I’d asked if we could take the other children too. Maybe they noticed the state I was in or maybe they simply weren’t feeling very talkative but the two were silent until we reached my room.

”I...”

I was saved from further explanation as the door opened of its own accord. Aegon had clearly heard my voice. 

I turned towards the Starks to try to gauge their reactions.

Eddard looked unsurprised and Catelyn looked like she’d expected it.

”Aegon, Magnar Edward Stark, Magnar Catelyn Stark and of course Alysanne.”

I was fairly sure Catelyn and Edward had twigged who the two were and we retreated into the corridor, leaving Aegon to keep an eye on the children.

Obviously, we didn’t close the door. That would be extremely neglectful.

Our conversation went much better than expected.

First, I was congratulated for becoming a parent and then it was business time.

As suspected, the two knew who the children were. They assured me it wasn’t that easy to figure out, it was simply because they knew I’d been to Essos and the ages were right.

However, they had my hair and there were always ways to alter eye colour but I could simply say their father’s eyes were purple (I didn’t even think that was a lie).

Then came up the inevitable question about the Iron Throne. 

I wasn’t sure what to do about that. I decided to just give it some time. If Aegon still wished for the throne after twenty years, I would have no objections. By that time, he would be past fully grown and if he could take part of the Northron culture South, that would be good for the realm. Maybe the gap between the two could be bridged.

More than anything though, beyond being a good king and man, I would raise Aegon and Alysanne to be satisfied. As their parent, I owed them that at least.

Sansa’s wail broke my train of thoughts.

Always the same that one, just had to be loud. I wasn’t going to let the contents of the original series happen to her. 

A week into this new time and I was already getting attached. But I meant it. I’d grown to care for not just the children but also Catelyn, Eddard, Alwin and the head cook whose name I still didn’t know for sure. His had a wicked sense of humour and we got along like a house on fire. I’d just learned to talk to him without mentioning his name. It wasn’t that hard.

But all of this just proved what I already knew - I was actually enjoying myself here. I really hoped the gods chose to be kind and let me stay a bit longer.

I could never guess what was going on in their minds. Did gods even have minds? Probably. They had said though that it would be a longer ‘mission’ so I hoped that meant I could hang around a bit more.

Maybe this was some sort of reward for being tossed about the timeline or they just liked screwing with it. Maybe I was doing what they wanted me to do in the process of this. A mutually beneficial (at least as far as you could go with gods) task.

I found myself not really caring.

Why should I?

Might as well enjoy the good times while they last. I was not looking forward to their ‘rebellious’ phases. Maybe they wouldn’t have any. I hoped so. It was likely futile but I can hope, can’t I?

And maybe just maybe it might work. Hopefully.

But that is a tale for another time.

Thus was my happily ever after and I intended to enjoy it before I went back to doing work for the gods who like messing up timelines.

What more can I say?


End file.
